Adam's Acres

Mulberries Mulberries look very much like blackberries and are used in similar ways - in tarts and pies, cookies, muffins, jams and preserves and fruit juices. They can also be dried and enjoyed as a healthy snack, added to trail mix or granola. They are low in calories but packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Tejocote Tejocote (pronounced te-ho-COT-e) is a variety of hawthorn fruit popular in Mexico but until recently not grown, or legally available, in the U.S. due to agricultural import restrictions. It ripens in late winter and is a main ingredient used in ponche, the traditional Mexican hot fruit punch that is served at Christmas time and on New Year's Eve. The fruit resembles a crabapple and its flavor is a blend of apples and roses with a touch of apricot. It is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron. It can be eaten raw, cooked, canned or made into jam and candy.

Mamey Sapote The Mamey Sapote is native to southern Mexico. It takes well over a year from flower to mature fruit, but is well worth the wait. Underneath the leathery brown skin is a brilliantly coloured, sweet and creamy flesh. It has an exotic flavor similar to sweet pumpkin pie with spice. Delicious eaten fresh, in fruit smoothies and ice cream. Unripe fruits can be cooked as a vegetable. It is a good source of vitamin A and potassium.

Olives Fresh, raw olives aren't edible. But there isn't a much better treat than home-cured olives! Both green and ripened olives can be used for this, and the process does take some time and a good recipe, but it is well worth it. Did you know that the olives most of us know, the black ones in a can, usually start out green? The canners use a special process and chemicals to turn them black. And speaking of a good recipe, here is a link to everything you need to know about curing olives from the University of California. http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8267.pdf

Loquat Also known as 'Japanese plum', loquats are another apple relative and have been cultivated in Japan for over 1,000 years. Their flavor is a mix of peach, citrus and mild mango and are usually eaten fresh. They mix well with other fruits in salads and make excellent jams and jellies. Slightly unripe fruit make the best pies. They are low in saturated fat and sodium, and high in vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese.

Jujube Also known as 'Chinese date', jujubes can be eaten fresh or dried. When fresh they have a texture and taste of an apple, when dried they turn sweeter and have the texture and taste of a date. When dried they can be used like dates in baking and they are sometimes candied to preserve them. (The Jujube candies sold at the movies are not made from jujube fruit!) Jujubes are very high in vitamin C, more than citrus fruits, and are a good source of minerals and amino acids.

Mexican papaya Mexican papayas are larger than other papaya varieties, some can weigh up to 15 pounds! When ripe they turn greenish-yellow with shades of orange, with numerous round, shiny, inedible black seeds in its center cavity. Somewhat similar to a melon, its delectable flesh is firm and juicy. To eat it fresh, simply slice it lengthwise, remove the seeds and sprinkle with lemon or lime juice. Or dress it up with a scoop of frozen yogurt. Papaya places first among fruits in the content of vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, niacin, calcium, folate, riboflavin, thiamin, potassium and fiber. It also contains a beneficial enzyme, papain, that aids digestion. It can be added to marinades to flavor and tenderize meats.

Quince Also known as 'Membrillo', quinces are related to apples and pears and are one of the earliest known cultivated fruits - for over 4000 years. They are rarely eaten raw because their flavor is tart and bitter, and the rind and fruit are tough. But cooked and sweetened they are delicious in pies, jams and jellies or simply baked or poached. An interesting fact is that "marmalade", originally meant quince jam, from its Portugese name 'marmelo'.

Medlar Medlars are a member of the rose family and the fruit looks like a large rose hip with the flavor of apple butter with a hint of cinnamon. They are eaten when squishy-soft and fresh from the tree which is why you won't find them in stores, they don't travel well. Medlars are an ancient fruit, enjoyed by the early Romans and mentioned by Shakespeare in several of his plays. The fruit is high in pectin and makes excellent jams and jellies with a flavor similar to quince. The seeds can be toxic and must not be eaten, but they are easily removed.

Guamúchil Truly an interesting, rare and unusual fruit! Guamúchil (gwa-moo-cheel) have green and pink twisted-looking pods contain a pulpy white fruit. When ripe, the pods begin to burst open. To eat them, you remove the sweet tasting fruit from the pod, chew it, and spit out the large black seed inside. The flavor has been compared to a combination of coconut and raisins and to chestnuts. They are only harvested during a few short weeks in early summer.

Azarole The fruit is cherry-sized, red, yellow, or white, or a mixture of colors. Its flesh is crisp with a strong aroma and a "sharp but agreeable flavor." There are three or four non-edible hard seeds inside. The fruit can be eaten fresh or dried, made into pies and preserves.

Cherimoya Also known as 'Ice Cream Fruit', the fruit is soft and sweet with a texture like custard. It's sometimes called a custard apple but that's a different fruit entirely. Only the flesh of the fruit is eaten, the seeds and skin aren't edible. Cherimoyas have more vitamin C than most citrus fruits and are very nutritious - a rich source of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. The fruit can be eaten fresh or cooked and blends well with other fruits in fruit salads and smoothies.The flavor is best when chilled.

Mulberries Mulberries look very much like blackberries and are used in similar ways - in tarts and pies, cookies, muffins, jams and preserves and fruit juices. They can also be dried and enjoyed as a healthy snack, added to trail mix or granola. They are low in calories but packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Tejocote Tejocote (pronounced te-ho-COT-e) is a variety of hawthorn fruit popular in Mexico but until recently not grown, or legally available, in the U.S. due to agricultural import restrictions. It ripens in late winter and is a main ingredient used in ponche, the traditional Mexican hot fruit punch that is served at Christmas time and on New Year's Eve. The fruit resembles a crabapple and its flavor is a blend of apples and roses with a touch of apricot. It is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron. It can be eaten raw, cooked, canned or made into jam and candy.

Mamey Sapote The Mamey Sapote is native to southern Mexico. It takes well over a year from flower to mature fruit, but is well worth the wait. Underneath the leathery brown skin is a brilliantly coloured, sweet and creamy flesh. It has an exotic flavor similar to sweet pumpkin pie with spice. Delicious eaten fresh, in fruit smoothies and ice cream. Unripe fruits can be cooked as a vegetable. It is a good source of vitamin A and potassium.

Olives Fresh, raw olives aren't edible. But there isn't a much better treat than home-cured olives! Both green and ripened olives can be used for this, and the process does take some time and a good recipe, but it is well worth it. Did you know that the olives most of us know, the black ones in a can, usually start out green? The canners use a special process and chemicals to turn them black. And speaking of a good recipe, here is a link to everything you need to know about curing olives from the University of California. http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8267.pdf

Loquat Also known as 'Japanese plum', loquats are another apple relative and have been cultivated in Japan for over 1,000 years. Their flavor is a mix of peach, citrus and mild mango and are usually eaten fresh. They mix well with other fruits in salads and make excellent jams and jellies. Slightly unripe fruit make the best pies. They are low in saturated fat and sodium, and high in vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese.

Jujube Also known as 'Chinese date', jujubes can be eaten fresh or dried. When fresh they have a texture and taste of an apple, when dried they turn sweeter and have the texture and taste of a date. When dried they can be used like dates in baking and they are sometimes candied to preserve them. (The Jujube candies sold at the movies are not made from jujube fruit!) Jujubes are very high in vitamin C, more than citrus fruits, and are a good source of minerals and amino acids.

Mexican papaya Mexican papayas are larger than other papaya varieties, some can weigh up to 15 pounds! When ripe they turn greenish-yellow with shades of orange, with numerous round, shiny, inedible black seeds in its center cavity. Somewhat similar to a melon, its delectable flesh is firm and juicy. To eat it fresh, simply slice it lengthwise, remove the seeds and sprinkle with lemon or lime juice. Or dress it up with a scoop of frozen yogurt. Papaya places first among fruits in the content of vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, niacin, calcium, folate, riboflavin, thiamin, potassium and fiber. It also contains a beneficial enzyme, papain, that aids digestion. It can be added to marinades to flavor and tenderize meats.

Quince Also known as 'Membrillo', quinces are related to apples and pears and are one of the earliest known cultivated fruits - for over 4000 years. They are rarely eaten raw because their flavor is tart and bitter, and the rind and fruit are tough. But cooked and sweetened they are delicious in pies, jams and jellies or simply baked or poached. An interesting fact is that "marmalade", originally meant quince jam, from its Portugese name 'marmelo'.

Medlar Medlars are a member of the rose family and the fruit looks like a large rose hip with the flavor of apple butter with a hint of cinnamon. They are eaten when squishy-soft and fresh from the tree which is why you won't find them in stores, they don't travel well. Medlars are an ancient fruit, enjoyed by the early Romans and mentioned by Shakespeare in several of his plays. The fruit is high in pectin and makes excellent jams and jellies with a flavor similar to quince. The seeds can be toxic and must not be eaten, but they are easily removed.

Guamúchil Truly an interesting, rare and unusual fruit! Guamúchil (gwa-moo-cheel) have green and pink twisted-looking pods contain a pulpy white fruit. When ripe, the pods begin to burst open. To eat them, you remove the sweet tasting fruit from the pod, chew it, and spit out the large black seed inside. The flavor has been compared to a combination of coconut and raisins and to chestnuts. They are only harvested during a few short weeks in early summer.

Azarole The fruit is cherry-sized, red, yellow, or white, or a mixture of colors. Its flesh is crisp with a strong aroma and a "sharp but agreeable flavor." There are three or four non-edible hard seeds inside. The fruit can be eaten fresh or dried, made into pies and preserves.

Cherimoya Also known as 'Ice Cream Fruit', the fruit is soft and sweet with a texture like custard. It's sometimes called a custard apple but that's a different fruit entirely. Only the flesh of the fruit is eaten, the seeds and skin aren't edible. Cherimoyas have more vitamin C than most citrus fruits and are very nutritious - a rich source of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. The fruit can be eaten fresh or cooked and blends well with other fruits in fruit salads and smoothies.The flavor is best when chilled.